Christmas Tree Hunting

choices...

After the reprieve created by that little ice thing a week ago Sunday, this past Saturday, by default, became the day of our annual tree hunting expedition.  We've been going to the same farm for about 5 years or so and couldn't be happier with the tree selection or the $20 price. I prefer to keep the name of the place a secret - bet you didn't think I even knew how to do that, but I'll give you a hint...it's on the other side of the river, sort of by Burden Lake.  Burden Lake - what does that even mean?  Does anyone have some information regarding how Burden Lake got its name?  If so, perhaps we can make a trade. 

beautiful vista

The ideal length of time, in my opinion, to be a slave to pine needles everywhere is about 2 weeks, which puts us right in the sweet spot of tolerance.  That ice event was actually a gift from the heavens which made delaying the acquisition of another semi-alive thing in my house an act of God instead of Goddess (aka me).  We were definitely a little late to the game and encountered a fair number of stumps in the field, but, after trudging through the surprisingly deeper than expected snow for about 20 minutes,  we located the perfect tree.  Again.  You see, I say that every single year.  It is one of my standard holiday Christmas phrases along with "I'm never doing Christmas cards again," "This is the last year I'm leaving my house on Christmas Day," and "I'm done shopping.  The boys aren't getting another thing."  I am consistent - sometimes. 

do they look like tree killers?

This wonderful little tree farm provides saws and rope and in no time, that tree was tied to the roof of my car heading to its final new home in the DelSo.  This year's tree is a little skinny, but beautifully shaped and, once again, I think we picked the perfect tree.  Actually, it is so beautiful that I can't wait to see it  spread its beauty far and wide in the form of mulch.  But, until that day (1/1/11) when we offer it up to the curb, I will insist that it be plugged in from morning til night, as a beacon to the ho-ho-holidays.

before

after

Scone call - for you.

yeah - i made these.

I got myself into a bit of a baking frenzy this weekend.  It started Saturday morning at about 5 a.m. with 2 loaves of bread, a mushroom and spinach quiche and a mess of scones. See what happens when I stay in on a Friday night?  Productivity!  This was my first time using this recipe for scones and I was very pleased with the results.  Of course, I didn't exactly stick to the recipe, but I did get inspired by it, which seems close enough.  I made 2 variations - to one batch I added sliced almonds, dried cherries, dried blueberries and almond extract instead of vanilla, the other batch contained craisins, chopped dried apricots and dried blueberries and vanilla extract.  I sprinkled regular granulated white sugar on the tops of the scones instead of oats and raw sugar.  They were straight-up delicious - not too sweet, surprisingly light and not dry at all.  They would be perfect for Christmas morning - hint, hint.

Blueberry Oat Scones

3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3T)  chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup plus 3 T old-fashioned oats

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)

1 3/4 cups chilled half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 teaspoons raw sugar
Preparation

• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.
• Stir half and half and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together (dough will be very moist).
• Using 1/2-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons oats, then raw sugar.
• Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Miss Sydney's Indu Chutney

I found an unopened jar of this delectable, locally made chutney in my refrigerator the other day and immediately opened it to enjoy with some takeout Indian food.  I imagine I originally purchased it at either the Honest Weight or the Troy Farmer's market - either that or the chutney fairy visited my house while I was sleeping.  However it found its way to my kitchen is incidental because, now that I know it is there, it won't be sticking around for long.  It is soooo delicious.  And made in Feura Bush.  And it doesn't contain any crap - just dates, raisins, water, vinegar, spices and light brown sugar.  That's it.  

Here's the website to get yourself some - if not directly from them, from one of the purveyors listed. This would help you to make one of my favorite simple appetizers.  Place a nice wedge of brie or cream cheese on an ovenproof serving dish.  Dump (or spoon, for you delicate types) a generous amount of chutney on top of the cheese.  Place in the oven (350 degrees)  until the cheese is melty and soft, perhaps 5 minutes or so.  Serve with hearty crackers.  Enjoy.

Mulligatawny Soup

a little mortar and pestle action - coriander seeds

I've got a thing for Mulligatawny Soup.  With my first pregnancy, it was my number one craving, and just like the pregnancy stretch marks, it's never gone away.  A perfect meal is an order of garlic nan and a steaming bowl of soup - usually from Shalimar.  There's something about the spicy wonderfulness that makes me feel content - true comfort food.  I've been looking for a recipe for mulligatawny for a while, but there seems to be an incredible variety of mulligatawny versions and I am easily overwhelmed by choices.  Yesterday, I bit the bullet and settled on this recipe for my framework.  I say framework because, people, it's soup.  I really can't be overly concerned with measuring ingredients for a soup unless it's a consomee' or a bisque (neither of which I've ever made) because, in my mind, soup is an item that is meant to be spontaneous and loosely constructed.  And, yes, we're talking about soup, not relationships.  :)

lots of onions, garlic and garam masala



I've been meaning to get to the Indian market on Central Avenue for a few weeks, and gathering ingredients for this soup provided me with the perfect opportunity.  The market was pretty impressive but a bit overwhelming, since I don't really have much experience with cooking Indian cuisine.  If you're looking for basmati rice, inexpensive spices or dried legumes, this is definitely a place you should check out.  There is a kitchen in the rear of the store and prepared foods are also available.  I thoroughly enjoyed the samosas I bought, finding them to be flaky, spicy and generally damned delicious.  And cheap.  I ended up purchasing 2 lbs of onions, 2 lbs of split red lentils, a 7 oz (?) package of garam masala and the samosas for $8 and change. 

deliciousness in less than an hour!

When I make soup I like to make a large pot of it - which leaves me plenty to eat, share and freeze.  I sort of doubled the recipe and would estimate I used almost 2 lbs of onions, about 10 garlic cloves, and perhaps 5 cups of split red lentils.  The process was pretty simple, saute the onions in some olive oil until they brown up, add the chopped garlic, spices and lentils and then add stock and coconut milk. I pretty much eye-balled all the spices, and threw in a few tablespoons of cardamon seeds, as well, since the recipe didn't call for any and I love them.  I omitted the chicken and the rice called for in the recipe, but used chicken stock (maybe 10 or 12 cups), which could easily be replaced with vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version. I also skipped the pureeing part because I like a dense soup and why dirty the blender?  I was pretty darn liberal with the seasonings, and finished the pot of yum by adding salt and some generous squeezes of fresh lemon juice.  This is a really easy soup to make with limited chopping - just the onions and the garlic, and I will certainly make it again.  Now, I can satisfy this craving at home.  Mission accomplished.

My favorite Lark Street event - The Santa Speedo sprint.

I've loved Lark Street ever since I moved to Albany 20+ years ago.  When I was first visited the area and found myself having brunch at the Beverwyck, I knew that Center Square was where I wanted to be and concentrated my housing search in that neighborhood.  I like the architecture, the shops and restaurants, the wide sidewalks which are often filled with characters and personalities, the cool city feel when residential and business meld together...  It just all adds up for me.  The only time I don't like Lark Street is during Lark Fest - I just can't abide the public drunkenness and sloppiness.  I'm all about having a good time, you know that, but is it really necessary to get falling down, publicly urinating drunk?  I find it more than a bit repulsive (like old guys and young girls, icky), and generally avoid attending Lark Fest, Lark Street's biggest event of the year.  Fortunately, however, I've found a new Lark Street party which I am more than willing to attend; the Santa Speedo Sprint.  Although this year's run was the 5th annual, it was the first that I've witnessed and I had a blast.  The crowd was fun, spirits were high and the sun was shining.  People were definitely in a partying mood, but there weren't any of those rednecks who seem to populate other Lark street events.  You know, the folks who apparently only have access to alcohol one day a year and are therefore committed to consuming enough booze to hold them over for 365 days, those people.  Anyway - none of those people were there and, in their place, were really fun Albanians celebrating an event that manages to combine festivity with charity.  And, isn't that what the holidays are all about?



Santa Speedo Run 2010

Gingerbread Fun at the UAG

liberal with the frosting

Yesterday, Quinn and I took part in Lark Street's Winter Wonderlark activities at the Upstate Artists' Guild's Gingerbread Funhouse.  For a (small) recommended donation of $5, we were provided with a gingerbread house and an incredible array of goodies with which to eat while we sat around decorate it.  You parents out there know what a pain in the arse it would be to do this at home - lots of candy, lots of unnaturally colored frosting, lots of mess.  However, in a setting like this, decorating our gingerbread was all the fun I had ever imagined it to be!  Quinn had a blast squeezing crazy amounts of frosting "glue" on to his property and sticking gumdrops, skittles, m&m's, marshmallows, pretzels and candy canes all over, liberally sampling  treats along the way.  I really hope this is an  annual event, because we will definitely be back next year.

And - if you're looking for something festive to do today, Sunday 12/12, head down there later in the afternoon for a holiday collage card making workshop.  Fun.

not a swanky clothes event

carefully trying to get as much candy as possible on the house

note that gingerbread boy wasn't given a mouth.  i wanted him to be quiet.

Swanky Party

cocktail bar tree

Isn't swanky one of the best words in the English language?  It makes me think of cocktails served straight up and waxed hair and red lipstick - all of which were present in abundance (ok, maybe not the waxed hair, there seemed to be an inordinate number of men with shaved heads) at the Mad Men themed party I attended Friday night.  

I can't tell you how fun it was to be in a room of gorgeous people who had each put forth some effort in their appearances - what a pleasure.  Then, factor in a Manhattan/martini bar, elegant passed hors d'oeuvres and a beautiful setting... Well, it was a lovely evening.  That  Matt Baumgartner really knows how to throw a party.

skinny tied Sunny and Ryan

beautiful Yasmine

a spectacular looking couple

fantastic updo by Robb Penders from V Salon

Yasmine and our host, Matt

Rob, as drinking Don Draper, (note the loosened tie) and me